Tonight’s the night: Clemson & Alabama (again). I’m just going to say right now that I’m #AllIn for the Tigers. ? ? ? I grew up down the road from Clemson and I live in SC. Pulling for any other team would be downright treasonous. But there’s one thing we can all agree on: Food. In our house, game day means wings and chili. It also happens to be FREEZING right now, which makes this chili even more perfect for tonight. Oh, and they’re both super easy, even for a weeknight. So, get your game gear on and let’s do this.

If I were making this tonight, I’d start by putting the dry rub on the wings so they can marinate in the fridge while I get the chili going. Then, I’ll put the wings in the oven and get the chili toppings together. By the time the wings are done, the chili will be ready to go as well.

First up, my husband’s favorite wings. My husband loves wings. Like, really loves them. When we first started dating, I told him I made pretty good wings. He was skeptical. Just like when I told him I was a pretty good shot. Needless to say, I was right (on both counts). Honestly, I don’t know why he doubts me. I am always right ??? As for the wings, he loves them–they’re salty and crispy and just really good. Plus, you bake them, so they’re easy to make and easy to clean up.

Old Bay Wings

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds of chicken wings

Dry Rub

1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Sauce (optional)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons Frank’s Red Hot sauce

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, mix together the Old Bay, baking powder, and salt.

Pat the wings dry with a paper towel. Place about half the wings into a large bowl and sprinkle with the Old Bay mixture. Add the remaining wings, cover with the Old Bay mixture, and toss it all around to coat.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the wings. You may need a few baking sheets, depending on the size of the wings.

Put the wings (on the baking sheets) into the fridge to marinate. You can do this for a few hours, overnight, or for 20 minutes. They’re delicious every way.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 and bake until they’re brown and crispy, which is usually around 30-35 minutes.

The wings are delicious just like this. If you want to add a some extra kick, dress them in the sauce below, which is also delicious, though a tad bit messier.

Get Saucy: Combine butter, hot sauce, and Worcestershire in a large bowl. Add wings, toss to coat, eat.

This is a pretty picture of wings I found on the internet. I serve my wings piled up on a big plate, and I’m okay with that.

Now, on to the chili. I found the original version of this recipe ages ago and I have revised and improvised a ton over the years. If you don’t have everything on the ingredient list, feel free to use whatever is in your pantry. A few things I do recommend: Heinz ketchup and Hatch green chilis. Alright, here you go. Get out your big pot and start cooking!

Beef and Bean Chili

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium red onions, chopped

6-8 garlic cloves, chopped

2 pounds ground beef (15% fat)

1/4 cup chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 small can Hatch green chilis

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice

1 14 oz. can pinto beans, drained & rinsed

1 14 oz. can white beans (cannelloni or navy), drained & rinsed

1 1/2 cups. beef broth

Ketchup

Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in heavy large pot or Le Creuset over medium-high heat.

Add onions; sauté until brown. Add garlic and sauté another minute or so.

Add beef and sauté until it browns

Add chili powder, cumin, and paprika and stir. The mixture should be quite dark (that’s the chili powder). I like to let this simmer for a minute or so to let the flavors settle.

Add the tomatoes with juice, beans, green chilis, and broth.

Now, get a little creative. I like to add a few generous slugs of Heinz ketchup to the mix, which I’d approximate as 1/4 cup. It adds a bit of richness and I use Heinz for its vinegar-y flavor. For the worcestershire, I do a few shakes of Lea & Perrins.

Stir it all together, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a while—at least 45 minutes, but I’ve let this sit on the stove for two hours before and it’s just as great.